Chapter 11:
Rei sat on her bed staring out the window. She had her arms wrapped around her knees. She'd tried meditating, but she was too stressed. Mina, who was in the room they were sharing with Lita and Ami also, came up to her and sat on the bed opposite.
"Everything okay?" She asked the unusually quiet Rei. Rei sighed.
"Well, not really." She said. "I think, I thought, I felt something…earlier…" She trailed off, closing her eyes, trying to concentrate.
"What?" Asked Mina curiously, after giving her some time to think.
"Serena…" Rei said thinking. "Something changed, or something's wrong. If only I was back at the shrine…" She finished thinking of her fire and how it helped her to concentrate and connect with herself.
"Couldn't we find one?" Mina asked. "Couldn't we go to one and use their sacred fire, maybe you'll be able to find Serena for us." Mina suggested carefully. She didn't want to assume she knew all about being a priestess or sacred fires, but anything that could help.
"Maybe…" Rei muttered. "But I don't know how well it would work. I'd need you and Lita and Ami with me though." She said. Mina nodded and went to find Lita and Ami.
The four girls headed down to the hotel lobby and asked the desk clerk if he knew where they could go to a shrine. He gave them directions to the closest shrine, which as only a block away. They walked briskly in the coming night, but slowed down and approached the shrine respectfully. Rei talked with the priest quietly while the girls had a quick whispered conversation, hoping not to be overheard.
"Do you think it's a new enemy?" Lita asked.
"I dunno." Mina said quietly. Then horror struck. "What if it is?" She said.
"Yeah…" Lita inquired.
"What if Serena's fighting it, without help! She could be in trouble!" Mina cried painfully. Lita and Ami drew worried looks.
"Well, let's hope this works." Ami spoke shakily as Rei beckoned them to follow her. They remained silent as Rei reassured the priest that she would be fine and kneeled in front of the fire. The girls kneeled behind her, a fair distance back so she could concentrate. She began chanting. They kneeled there for a very long time. Rei concentrating allowing her mind to connect with the fire and ask it questions. Lita, Mina and Ami watched intently. As the flames rose higher to create a picture, it was hard for them not to talk about it. They watched it, taking in all of it. Holding it in their memories. Not long after the flames died down again and Rei broke her connection with her spirit. She turned to face the other girls.
"It is a new enemy…" Ami whispered.
"What was that city in flames?" Lita asked. Nobody responded, they all felt in their hearts it was Crystal Tokyo.
"The enemy attacked tonight." Rei said. "That was what I felt. But it appears it was destroyed."
"By Sailor Moon." Mina said, voicing the unnecessary.
"How'll we find the enemy?" Ami asked. They sat unknowing for a while.
"Lets go back and talk to Luna and Artemis, they might know something." Rei suggested. And they left.
Serena woke from her restless sleep early, without her alarm. Not actually wanting to go back to sleep, she got up and prepared herself for the day. She checked her schedule to find no work was labelled for her for today. Confused she found her boss and asked him why she had no work.
"A company called and needs a jewellery model." He said simply. "I was about to actually come and get you, we'll be a bit short handed today, but the company really needs a model and it appears you need to appear to be working for other companies."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well if your friends are checking fashion magazines and your name appears exclusively under our company they'll know you're here." He said simply. He handed her the address of the jewellery company and sent her off. She hailed a taxi and arrived fairly quickly. Noting it was across the road from the police station she was at yesterday. She grew cold at the memory as she steeped out of the taxi and paid the driver. Shaking it off she entered the prestigious company and settled in for a long day of work.
Rei was shaken awake early that morning herself. Lita was standing over her bed.
"Rei?" She whispered. Rei mumbled to show she was awake. "Rei, Ami and I have been talking and we think we know what we should do." Lita said. Rei sat up and looked at Lita. Lita told her to come out and sit with them on the sofa. She emerged from the room to find hot chocolate drinks and Mina and Ami sitting on the sofas. Lita and Rei sat on the sofa opposite.
"So what's the big plan?" Mina asked groggily, reaching for a mug. Ami spoke gently.
"We think, well, we should take turns in 'staking out' the agency. And if Serena leaves it, we follow her." Ami was turning pink.
"Why didn't we do this sooner?" Mina said grumpily. Apparently mornings were not Minas 'thing'.
"I think maybe we respected Serena a bit more before that, but now she's off fighting enemies, she'll need her help. It's for her own good." Lita said as though she'd already asked that question herself.
"Well I guess it's a good plan," Rei said slouching back on the sofa. "But what if Serena catches us?"
"We'll have to take that risk." Lita said and the girls worked on the fine tunings of their plan hurriedly. Luna joining them. Ami and Luna offered to head over and arrived as Serena was stepping into a taxi. Ami and Luna stepped out of sight as the taxi went past and hailed their own taxi immediately. Following Serena's taxi.
Serena had an odd feeling about her all day. A quiet feeling, but it didn't manage to impact on her performance at work. She spent the day silently admiring the jewellery they asked her to model. She felt rich doing this. They finished with her early and she stepped out of the company building in time to hear a loud bang coming from the police station. She looked over with curiosity. Noting up above the roof blue smoke, similar to the green smoke of yesterday, was taking form of a woman. She cursed a little as she ducked into an alley to transform. Then sprinting over to the station and leaping up to the roof. This time her enemy seemed quicker than her last. She swiftly dodged Sailor Moons attacks and fired back her own attacks speedily. Sailor Moon was having trouble protecting herself. The blue woman shot a stream of water at Sailor Moon and hissed.
"So you're the one who destroyed my brother!" Sailor Moon whimpered as she leaped out of the way. Both stopped attacking and faced each other.
"Who are you!" Sailor Moon yelled. "And why are you trying to destroy the police station!" The blue woman smiled.
"These people can fight!" She said. "They will resist us, when we take control!" Sailor Moon grimaced. She waited a second then pounced suddenly aiming a high kick at the woman's head. She just missed and the woman grabbed her leg and swung her around, sending her flying along the roof and hitting the edge. Sailor Moon rubbed herself as she sat up. The woman aimed an attack at Sailor Moon as she sat injured. Then came the cry…
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" The blue monster is blasted from behind. Sailor Moon picks herself up and, taking her opportunity while the monster is down, attacks.
"Moon Tiara Magic!" She cries attacking the monster. It remains there. To Sailor Moons shock it gets back up and laughs. It turns and blasts Sailor Mercury she falls backward, off the building. Sailor Moon cries out, but Ami is swung back on top of the building, Tuxedo Mask supporting her. He is soon followed by the other Sailors. Sailor Moon ignores them and continues fighting the monster. Launching some of her older attacks at it when possible. Again she's backed into a corner. She closes her eyes waiting for the attack. But shadow falls and she opens them to see Tuxedo Mask standing in front of her.
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" A cry I heard and the monster buckles over. Sailor Moon ducks out from behind Tuxedo Mask. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus use a joint attack on the monster and Sailor Moon uses this to prepare for her own attack.
"Moon Scepter Elimination!" This combines with an attack from Sailor Mini Moon and Sailor Uranus and the monster is blasted hard. It is destroyed leaving Sailor Moon alone on the roof with her old teammates. They all stare at each other. The silence is long and lasting. Sailor Moon speaks first.
"H… how did… you, uh, uh; know… where I, uh, was?" She stammers out. Her mind is racing, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. The others look at each other.
"Ami and Luna have been watching you." Sailor Jupiter says quietly. Sailor Moon just stands there.
"It was just for today." Sailor Mercury adds hurriedly. "When, when, we found out there was an enemy we didn't want to leave you unprotected." Sailor Mercury says worrying about Sailor Moons reaction. Sailor Moon just stands there; she knows what she has to do. She just wonders, can she do it? She tries to close off her heart again and feels a little colder, but stronger and more stubborn. Sailor Mars opens he mouth to speak, but Sailor Moon cuts her off.
"I don't need help." She growls.
"Serena…" Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars say together, but she glares at them.
"I can do this on my own." She says coldly. "I don't need you." She adds this more trying to convince herself than anyone else.
"We've been so worried about you Serena…" Sailor Venus says, a tear sliding down her cheek. Serena feels her heart break, but tries to ignore it.
"Serena," Tuxedo Mask speaks from behind her. He moves to stand with the other girls. "Why?" He asks gently, his voice full of sadness. Serena tries to scowl.
"I have business to take care of; I don't need you all getting in my way!" She almost yells. "Go back home!" Nobody knows what to say anymore. They just stand looking at each other. Then yellow smoke appears in the sky above them. Red smoke appears beside it. They form into man and woman. The yellow a woman and the red a man. Sailor Moon who has seen this twice before prepares for battle as the figures descend upon them. The others watch silently. The red man speaks.
"Who killed our brother and sister?" He demands. Sailor Moon glares at him defiantly.
"You?" Asks the woman. "I sensed you yesterday when I came looking for my brother, and you are here again." She finishes with a growl.
"I am Sailor Moon champion of love and justice!" She says. "And in the name of the moon I will punish you!" The others hear her battle speech and also prepare for a fight.
"You will do NOTHING!" The red man yells. "We will take vengeance for our brother and sister." With that he sends flames flying at Sailor Moon she dodges almost gracefully and sends her boomerang like Tiara flying at him. He moves out of the way only to be hit by Tuxedo Masks roses. Sailors Jupiter, Mars, Uranus and Saturn are fighting the yellow woman. Sailor Pluto sends an attack flying at the red man he dodges and sends another lot of flames at Sailor Moon. She jumps away crashing into short side of the roof, hitting her side hard on the edge. She hears Sailor Mercury send an attack at the monster along with Sailor Venus. Sailor Moon hauled herself up and sent a finishing blow at the monster. He was destroyed. Painfully she turns to the one being continuously attacked by other Sailors. She destroys her too. Still holding her side she jumps down from the building, landing softly on her feet. Tuxedo Mask follows her and the scouts follow him. Sailor Moon ducks into an alley to detransform. They follow her and also turn into their original selves. She turns to leave; she walks towards them ready to push past them.
"Wait." Darien pleads. She pauses. "Please come with us." He asks. She shakes her head. "Please, just tell us what's going on. Just explain what's happening." Serena looks down.
"I can't." She says. "Just leave me alone!" She pushes through the lot of them. "I don't need you and I don't want you." She yells as she storms away. After turning the corner she breaks into a run. She runs back to the agency and hides in her room and cries. She cries for a long time then she feels waves of dizziness wash over her. She hopes this means she can talk to the strange woman again and passes out.
Darien stood staring after Serena and didn't move as she turned out of the alley and out of sight. He just stood; he looked down at his hands thinking. Does Serena really not want us? Not want me? He feels tears rise to his eyes. Sobs sound from somewhere near him. Mina is trying not to cry. Rei's face is a tangle of pain and sadness and a little anger. Tears are filing out of her eyes, but she appears unaware. Lita looks stunned, hurt and disbelieving. Ami looks as if she's been slapped, but like Lita she looks almost skeptical. Amara, Michelle and Trista are trying to comfort Serena's closest friends, while little Hotaru is trying to get Rini to look at her. Offering words of comfort. Without a word all of them head back to the hotel. Upon arriving they take turns in informing the magical cats of everything that happened. They spend the night in the one room. Occasionally speaking, but generally just sitting, thinking.